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(No Model.)

B. D. THAOKSTON.

SELF CLOSING HATCHWAY.

Patented Dec! 30, 1884.

UNITED STATES PATENT FEICE.

RICHARD D. THAOKSTON, OF s'r. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIG-NOR or ONE-HALF TOHENRY I. con, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-CLOSING HATCHWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,993, dated December30, 1884.

Application filed May 31, 1884.

(N model.)

T0 or whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. THAOKSTON, of the city of St. Louis, inthe State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Self-Closing Hatchways, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accom panyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l isa side elevation. Fig. 2 is a dctail side view showing the camcompressed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, and Figs. 4 and 5 areenlarged detail views.

This invention relates to an improvement in self-closing hatchwaysintended more especially for fast-running elevators; and this inventionconsists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A representsthe cage, B the uprights, and Gthe door or doors, of an elevator. Secured beneath the cage is a cam, D,connected by its upper end to a shaft, H, journalcd in brackets or boxesI,

made fast to the cage, as shown. Surrounding the shaft is a spiralspring, J, one end of which is made fast to a collar, L, rigidly securedto the shaft, and the other end of the spring bears against the bottomof the cage. The spring tends to throw and hold the cam in the positionsshown in Figs. 1 and 3. To

prevent the spring throwing the free .end of the cam too low, I secure ablock, N, to the shaft that comes against the bottom of the cage, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5, and limits the turning of the shaft.

0 represents a stop secured to the bottom of the cage, against which thecam strikes in opening the doors, as shown in Fig. 2, and by dottedlines, Fig. 3,to limit its upward movement after the door is partlyopened. The lower end of the stop may have a rubber cushion, 0, and thelower or free end of the earn a similar cushion, D, as shown. I preferto open each door (I have shown two of them) by mechanism constructed asfollows: 1? rep resents a lever hinged to a post, B, one end of whichhas afriction-roller, S, against which the cam D strikes in opening thedoor. The other end of the lever is connected by a rod, T, to one arm ofa bell-crank lever, U, hinged or pivoted to the post R,(see Fig. 1,) theother. arm of the bell-crank lever being connected to the door by a rod.V, and thus it will be seen that the doorwill be opened bythe cage.

I claim as my invention I. In a self-closing hatchway, in combinationwith the cage and cam, the stop 0, for the purpose Set forth.

2. In a self-closing tion of the cage, cam, and stop, the cam and stophaving cushions secured to their lower ends.

3. In a self-closing hatchway, the combination of the cage, shaftsecured to the bottom of the cage, spring J, block N, cam secured to theshaft, and the stop depending from the bottom of the cage, arranged andoperating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a self-closing hatchway, the combination of the cage, lever P,post to which the lever is pivoted, bell-crank lever U, pivoted to thepost, rod T, connecting the levers, door, and rod V, connecting the doorto the lever U, substantially as set forth.

RICHARD D. TIIAOKSTON.

In presence of Gno. H. KNIGHT, BENIN. A. KNIGHT.

hatchway, the c0mbina- 6o

